Bottle-cap sorting and feeding mechanism



Nov. 24 1925.

1,562,599 A. W. SUITER BOTTLE GAP soR'r'ING AND'FEEDING MECHANISM Original Filed May 4, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 @10.3 uer Nov. 24 1925 1,562,599

v A. W. SUITER BOTTLECAP SORTING AND FEEDING MECHANISM original Filed May 4, 1921 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Nov. 24, 1925,

COMPANY, OF GLOUCESTER, SETTS.

BOTTLE-CAP SORCBTG All@ FEEDNG- lltECEAllTlSll/I.

Original application tiled 4, 1991, flerao.

To ':Z 007mm it may concern.'

Be it known that l, ARTHUR il?. Spurs-ii, a citizen et the United titates, residing;l at Yoonsocket. in the county of Providence and State ot Rhode' lsland, have invented `new and useful improvements in Bottle-Cap Sorting' and Feeding' ll/lecbanism.` oi which the olioudnev is a si eeiiication.

This invention relates to mechanisms for sorting bottle caps positioned indiscriminately in a supply hopper so that they may be presented successively in proper position to bottle cappine mechanism.

This application is a division @1t application Serial Ne. 166,822 tiled May il. 1921 tor machines for operating; on bottles.

Referring; to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a right side elevation ot the upper portion et the complete machine showin@` the cap sorting` and feeding mechanism in position thereon,

Figure 2 is a section on line 2 2 ot Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary section at right angles to Figure 2 and with parts removed.

Figure 4 is a 'fragmentary detail of the cap sorting' mechanism.

Figure 5 is a detail section ot the cap distributinge0 hopper.

The cap sorting and distributing mechanism is mounted in inclined' position on a bracket 180 fixed to the top frame member 181 of the machine, an inclined shaft 182 being journaled in the bracket 180 and carrying a rotating hopper at its outer end. As shown in Figure 2, the shaft 182 has fixed on its outer end a disk 183, to one face of which is fixed a. bevel gear 184:. This gear meshes with a bevel pinion 185 carried on a shatt- 186 which is journaled in the bracket 180 and carries at one end a belt pulley 187, by which it may be rotated by a belt 188 passing` thereover. A ratchet mechanism 187 between the belt pulley and shaft 186 allows the shaft to be turned by hanc in its normal drive direction without affecting the belt pulley. Fixed to the bracket 180 surrounding' the shat't 182 is a spider 190 which'supports the upper end of a stationaryT arcuate raceway section 191. This raceway section hase passageway 192 between inner and outer Walls 193 and 1911 l Serial No.

Divided and this application tiled April l,

flessen.

thereof of su'liicient size to accommodate a single line or caps and connects near its lower end with the upper end ot a raceway 1925 which projects downwardly to mechanism for dining the caps to bottles. rihe caps are placed in a hopper comprising` a cylindrical drum 196 fixed to rotate with the disk 183, This drum is composed oit a cylinder 19T, preferably of glass, or mesh wire, engaging at its inner end in a recess in a rinp,` member 198 and at its outer end in a similar recess in a cap member 199, these parts being heid assembled by means of tie bolts 200 extending' between the ring?,v and the cap. F iXed between the disk 188 and the ring;` 198 are a series et fingers 201 spaced apart suilieiently to permit. a ap to pass therebetween and between the ring' and the disk. These spaces are radial to the disk 188 at their inner ends but are turned backwardly with relation to the direction oi" rotation ot the hopper at their outer ends so that they may discharge 'the caps into the laeewaj-yY at positions cohsiderably above the lowest part oit the hepper and where they are not subjected to interiierence by the mass ot caps agitated by the turning' of the hopper, lin order to insure that the caps may be passed therethrough proigverly presented to the raceway.. the plate 183, rino' 198, and the lingers are laterally bent, shown more particularly in Figuiere 5, to iorm crooked passao'eways, so that the ringi 198 presents an annular ridge at 202. This ridge is cut away, asv shown in .rieure l and in dotted lines in Figure 5, at 203, to present a series of outwardly directed points. It the caps are properly presented, their hollow sides facing the ring` 198, these projections may enter the hollows, and the caps may pass outwardly between the plate and ring and between the fingers into the raceway 191. Should caps be presented reversely positioned, these points form obstructions which engage the tops et the caps and prevent them from passing' to thev raceway. As the hopper rotates, the misdirected caps, on reaching their upper positions, are returned to the hopper by gravity. Also any caps in excess of those required to fill the raceway are permitted to return through the passageways between the fingers, a blade 204 inclined from the outer edge of the raceway section 191 to the circumferences of the disk 183 and the ring 198 servingto push inwardly any slightly protruding' caps which might otherwisetend to ljam. A notched circular plate 183 is preferably centrally seoiired to the inner tace of plate 183 to help agitate the caps the hopper rota-tes, and tends to positior` them for entr7 in the passageways between the lingers.

From'this description it will be evident to those skilled in the art that many modiications and changes mai' be made Without departing from the spirit or scope ot the invention as defined in the'apnended claims. I claim: Y 1. A distributing mechanism for bottle caps comprisinga receptacle adapted to contain caps and having an escape passage for said caps, said escape passage extending` angularly, and a pointed projection in said passage over which a cap may pass when it ispresented with its hollow .side facing' thereto but preventing the passage oit a` cap reversely presented. 2.l A distributing .mechanism t'or bottle caps comprising a hopper having a series of passageways iforthe caps, and a projection within eachot said passageways engageable within the open side of a cap properly presented therein and permitting said cap to'pass7 and engageable with the top ot an improperly presented cap to prevent its passage. l

3. A distributing mechanism for bottle caps comprising' a member having a passageway for the caps, a pointed projection within said passageway eneageable within the open side of a cap properly presented therein and permitting said cap to pass, and en- `rageable with the top of an improperly presented cap to prevent its passage, and means foi removing protrudingcaps from said passagxways.

1. fr mechanism of the class .described`r compising a rotary drum Jtor containing; bottlegaps, a disk member forming the base ot saidv drum, a ring` member fixed to they side ot' saiddrum7 spacing` elements between said ring and disk to define therewith channels iior the escape of caps, said members and elements being `laterally bent to cause said channels to be crooked, and a pointed projection extending from one of said members at the bend of each channel, over which a cap may pass when its hollow side is facing said member, but preventing the passage ot a cap reversely presented, and a raceway for receiving the caps passing` through said channels.

In testimony whereof I have atlixed my signature.

ARTHUR w. 'snrrnn 

